I’m trying to set up a Linux laptop for a friend who lives in another city. They have only ever used Windows, and likely won’t have easy access to fix issues (not that I’m an expert).

First off, is it a good idea to give them a Linux PC at all? Have others had good/bad experiences giving technophobes Linux?

Secondly, if I go ahead with it, what’s a good, stable, “safe” OS for a beginner? I’m shy of anything that’s a rolling release (e.g. Arch, Manjaro etc) as “bleeding edge” can break things more often than not. I’m leaning towards Debian or something Debian based. But I’ve also heard good things about Fedora.

If I was the one using the PC, I’d have installed Fedora, as I’ve heard it’s well-maintained. Then again there’s been some good buzz about Debian 12. What would your advice be? Thanks!

  • zemonofdrako
    4·
    2 years ago

    1, It’s a good idea to give them Linux if they agreed to it and have a general understanding of what is different.

    2, I installed Debian on my 81 years old friend’s shitty old laptop (it was out of curiousity), he never called me back to fix his OS. For your friend though, I’d recommend Linux Mint Debian Edition, as it feels faster than regular Mint.

    • piezoelectronOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      Cheers! Yep, I’m gonna give them the down low on Linux. I might even modify the DE to imitate the Windows 11 UX so the transition is easier.

      I’m basically boiling it down to Debian/Debian-based OR Fedora…

      • zemonofdrako
        1·
        2 years ago

        I have no experience with Fedora, as far as I can tell mostly tech enthusiasts use it. I wouldn’t install a rolling distro on a newbie’s machine, though.